Matucana?

[MrMatt]

I have been watching this beauty develop buds the few months. It finally opened today. Can anyone help me with the ID? I am guessing a Matucana sp. of some sort. Also, do you know if these are able to self pollinate?

Thanks,
Matt

[Lucy_V]

You are correct. It is Matucana madisoniorum. Not self-fertile as far as I know, needs another plant of the same species, but with different genetics to pollinate and produce seeds.

[MrMatt]

You are correct. It is Matucana madisoniorum. Not self-fertile as far as I know, needs another plant of the same species, but with different genetics to pollinate and produce seeds.

Thank you! Well at least it put out a pup

[DaveW]

They vary in spination, some only produced randomly but as they get older the spines often drop off anyway. Spine loss is natural in this species so nothing to worry about.

https://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACTI/F ... disoniorum

[nachtkrabb]

Hallo Matt and Lucy,
the M. madisonorium here is all alone, poor guy. But it not only flowers next to every year. It also puts on fruit next to every year.
So if you have some helpful bees at hand...?

Matt, your plant is a very nice plant. I like it.
Nachtkrabb

[nachtkrabb]

Dave is right. This one is about 15years at my place & has by now lost most of its spines. Two years ago, it tried it again & grew a couple of tiny thingummies, just as the beard of an old woman...

Matucana madisonorium after 15years

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[Lucy_V]

@nachtkrabb I am curious about Matucana fruits you mentioned. Have you seen seeds inside them? Did you have a chance to sow those seeds? From my experience, sometimes cacti produce fruits after being pollinated with other unrelated random cacti species that bloom nearby at the same time. The process itself and the "foreign" pollen may stimulate the development of fruits, but due to incompatibility of species the seeds are duds most of the times, they are infertile, or no seeds at all inside the fruit. In rare occasions cross-pollination with different species stimulates self-fertility and produces viable seeds, which are not hybrids. Some inter-species hybrids exist, of course, with some species more than with others, but these species have to be related evolutionary to some degree, or geographically at least. For example, you cannot hybridize cacti originally from Chile or Peru with ones from Mexico or Brazil... I personally often swap the pollen between different blooming plants (if there are no partners of the same species blooming). If any seeds come out, I sow them to see if they are viable and what comes from them

[nachtkrabb]

Well, I never tried those fruit to check the content, I never tried to sow. I am well enough at raising cutlings, but not at all at cultivating seedling.
Sorry...

Oh wow, what have I been sleepy on that day.
That plant produced seeds on a regular basis, this year is an exception. I always wondered at the fruit as they split in an interesting way & then the seeds fall out. In one year I actually found seedlings next to my plant. Unfortunately they didn't survive the winter. I think they didn't have enough water as the mother plant doesn't get too much.
If I manage I will search for some pictures of the fruit -- I know they are *somewhere* on my disk.
Nachtkrabb

[C And D]

My big plant started growing new spines in the old spineless areoles
You definitely need 2 plants for seeds
I have a pretty pink flowered form as well

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